Back to the Third Dimension....
Hello!
I've been wanting to make an update for some time, I have almost completed a major project (a children's book that has taken over three years so far, more on that in a future update), so I am able to focus more attention on the Cthulhu sculpture. Between photos that I felt weren't doing justice (I find it challenging to capture the skin texture well on camera) and indecision about which stages were less misleading to the readers in regard to my direction, I experienced a bit of a stalemate for update timing. But, I didn't want the next update to be a jump all the way to the finish, as that defeats one of this blog's purposes: to share the steps of the creation.
I've been thoroughly enjoying this project, the Super Sculpey is quite a forgiving medium and I am learning quite a bit about how to handle it. Getting the skin texture where I like it is the biggest challenge, which is one of the reasons I am leaving the face until last (so I have as much experience under my belt as possible before I get to the most important part). Part of the fun is to decide how the skin behaves in different areas, whether it is stretched over bone, muscle or fat, and then where and how it will wrinkle or fold. My hope is that the variation will break up any monotony.
Enough blabbing... without further ado:
It might be a little hard to tell which parts are done and which aren't, but I am essentially working from the recesses out. It feels more practical to work in this direction, especially with all the overlapping layers. I unknowingly made things a bit more challenging for myself by weaving a number of the elements, as some parts can be both above and below another.
I've probably done four bakings since the last update, you can see that the tip of the head is getting nice and toasty, No problem, as I will resurface that before the last baking. I've focused on the arms & hands, "inner" tentacles and wings so far. I have also added a few improvisations, like bits of blubbery skin peeking out of the gaps of limbs and tentacles, putting him a little more back in line with the text's description.
I repeatedly invert the sculpture and try to imagine where any air might get trapped when I get to pouring the resin. It's a challenge to balance what looks best and what casts best. Though I am trying to eliminate some problems, I suspect it might take some trial and error in the mold making process. My guess is that it will take more than two sections to allow several vents to increase flow.
I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. Back to the Sculpey....
~Paul
I've been wanting to make an update for some time, I have almost completed a major project (a children's book that has taken over three years so far, more on that in a future update), so I am able to focus more attention on the Cthulhu sculpture. Between photos that I felt weren't doing justice (I find it challenging to capture the skin texture well on camera) and indecision about which stages were less misleading to the readers in regard to my direction, I experienced a bit of a stalemate for update timing. But, I didn't want the next update to be a jump all the way to the finish, as that defeats one of this blog's purposes: to share the steps of the creation.
I've been thoroughly enjoying this project, the Super Sculpey is quite a forgiving medium and I am learning quite a bit about how to handle it. Getting the skin texture where I like it is the biggest challenge, which is one of the reasons I am leaving the face until last (so I have as much experience under my belt as possible before I get to the most important part). Part of the fun is to decide how the skin behaves in different areas, whether it is stretched over bone, muscle or fat, and then where and how it will wrinkle or fold. My hope is that the variation will break up any monotony.
Enough blabbing... without further ado:
It might be a little hard to tell which parts are done and which aren't, but I am essentially working from the recesses out. It feels more practical to work in this direction, especially with all the overlapping layers. I unknowingly made things a bit more challenging for myself by weaving a number of the elements, as some parts can be both above and below another.
I've probably done four bakings since the last update, you can see that the tip of the head is getting nice and toasty, No problem, as I will resurface that before the last baking. I've focused on the arms & hands, "inner" tentacles and wings so far. I have also added a few improvisations, like bits of blubbery skin peeking out of the gaps of limbs and tentacles, putting him a little more back in line with the text's description.
I repeatedly invert the sculpture and try to imagine where any air might get trapped when I get to pouring the resin. It's a challenge to balance what looks best and what casts best. Though I am trying to eliminate some problems, I suspect it might take some trial and error in the mold making process. My guess is that it will take more than two sections to allow several vents to increase flow.
I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. Back to the Sculpey....
~Paul
This piece is looking very cool. Keep up the good work!
The only "blemish" that I can see, and may suppose to be this way, is in the final pic: the way the tentacle goes across the arm. It looks like it cutting furrows in to the arm instead of resting across it...
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Thanks for the encouragement and comment, Duffy!
If you're talking about the right arm, the lower tentacle that crosses above the elbow, I can see why you'd say that. It does look like it is cutting it's way into the arm. I haven't put the final layer on that tentacle, so it is still the rough armature that you're looking at. My intent for the finished layer will be the 'resting' look you mention. Fingers crossed
~Paul
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Er...well the tree was in the way of the forest. Honest!
Yep that's the spot.
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Heh! That's kind of what I was hinting at when I was expressing uncertainty about when is best to show WIP shots. Without getting overly verbose, it can be hard to explain what exactly is done and what isn't. But, in the long run, I think it's worth getting the comments, in case I did think it was finished and hadn't noticed the odd effect.
~Paul
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You know, that is some pretty sweet looking work there, but could you post up something to give an indication of the scale you're working on there? That could be the size of a coffe cup, or a tree for all I know.
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Hey Linc!
Thanks for the kind words, a size comparison sounds like a good idea...
OK, so it's not quite that big. This is perhaps less misleading:
The marking on my ruler came out rather blurry, so I have highlighted the eight inch mark.
~Paul
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Wow. Just, wow.
I love the tentacle that crosses the front of the base. The sort of flabbiness to it as it comes around the corner of the base is brilliant. It has weight, it grips the base... it is very cool.
The work you've done on the hands is excellent too and I really like the skin work where the wings meet the shoulders, but that tentacle really does it for me.
Carry on, man, this is very entertaining.
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Hi Rich,
Glad you're enjoying this! I think the way the flesh reacts to different conditions is what will make this sculpture interesting. If it were overly uniform, it would be rather tedious and dull (to sculpt and look at).
~Paul
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Even in pink (or perhaps because of) it is very disturbing sir. I look forward to the finished product. You might want to think on the King in Yellow on his tattered throne next. But, then again I am obviously of a Carcosan bent.
I think you could do some trippy things with the whole 'pallid mask' motif.
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I was in a bit of a debate about which Mythos character/monster/entity to sculpt. Though there are a lot of very interesting yet hardly untouched subjects out there, it was suggested to me that they would be far less marketable (this project, after all, is designed to pay for the Switzerland trip). I had a chat with Dustin at Chaosium, and he said that Cthulhu is by far the most popular. So much so that many people are familiar with the concept, even if they have never heard of Lovecraft or any of his works. So, my feeling is that I am testing the waters with the poster child, and if that does well I can be encouraged to delve deeper into more obscure avenues.
~Paul
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I can understand that. Big Daddy C is the poster boy for the mythos after all. Still, I would love to see a thousand faces of Nyarlathotep painting (troublesome I know), or a beastly Y'Golnac.
Actually, come to think of it I would love to see a Nyarlthotep in his Black Pharoh mode, that could be quite cool. I imagine being an artist as opposed to us verbal and textual types your brain is swimming in ideas for what is next.
Just thought I might offer a seed or two for that garden.
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Sorry for the late reply to your comments, I wholeheartedly blame Santa and Baby New Year for disrupting the flow. No presents for them next year!
I think the reception of this sculpture will help determine what kinds of releases I have in the future. If this is well received, I'll keep on chugging, and then quite possibly into the more obscure corners of the Mythos. Paintings, being a quicker process, are always more likely to reach those corners.
I appreciate the input, as that keys me in to what people are interested in seeing. Thanks!
~Paul
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